There are many misconceptions people have about computer science degrees. One of them is that they will turn you into a code crunching hermit. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth, as computer science has evolved significantly over the years. However, before you start your computer science studies, there are a few things you have to know first. We’ll touch on a few of them in this article.

Know Yourself

Before you decide to seek an online masters in computer science, it is important that you analyze your skillset and personality. Not everybody is meant to work in a team. The issue with computer science is that you’ll most certainly have to work in a team environment. So if you’re not a team player, you might have difficulty keeping up, even with all the skills in the world.

You also have to choose a career path that fits your strengths. It has been estimated that only about 40% of all computer science majors qualified without completing math or engineering. Fields such as software engineering demand a lot of math skills, so if this isn’t your forte, you should look at other options.

Choose a Career That is Sustainable

Yes, the field of computer science is booming at the moment, but that doesn’t mean it’s immune to saturation. While total jobs in computer engineering are set to increase by 22% by 2020, some sectors show more promise than others.

Fields such as tech support and programming are constantly being shipped overseas, which limits the jobs and salaries offered to local talent. If you want to know which sectors are booming at the moment, don’t wait until you’re a senior to go to job fairs. Make sure you attend job fairs as soon as you enter college to get a sense of where the job market is heading.

Acquire Skills That Are Marketable

The face of IT is constantly changing and a variety of hybrid positions are being created. For example, more and more computer science majors are being employed by big business nowadays. So it would be wise for those who would like to work in the business sector to major in business administration or finance, and then minor in computer science or even go for an online MS computer science.

Another mistake many computer science students make is concentrating on things such as building their own systems and applications. While these skills are very commendable, they won’t give you a leg up in the marketplace.

Computer science is a promising field that offers many avenues and opportunities. It is also a field that is always changing and evolving. As such, computer science majors must always stay on top of current trends and acquire the skills necessary to make it in the workplace. Before you decide on a major, make sure you know what will be expected of you once you get out of college so that you can make the right choice when comes time to enroll.